Rod chair



Ma 19, 1970 P. H. PALMER 3,512,331

ROD CHAIR Filed Feb. 17, 1969 INVENTOR. Pal/Z Palmer ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,512,331 ROD CHAIR Paul H. Palmer, Jacksonville, Fla.,assignor to Hull Metal & Supply Corporation, Jacksonville, Fla., :1corporation of Florida Filed Feb. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 799,614 Int. Cl.E04c /18 us. 01. 52687 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to rodchairs for use in supporting reinforcing rods in concrete structures,and more particularly to a preformed rod chair of improved construction.

The present invention is directed to an improved unitary rod chair whichis formed from a single piece of elongated material or wire withoutemploying any welding or the like to maintain the rod chair in operationerected condition for use in concrete structures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Rod chairs of various types have beenemployed to support and space reinforcing rods or the like in concretestructures or the like, such rod chairs being exemplified by Pat. Nos.824,595; 1,380,332; 1,406,379; 1,410,633; 1,499,984; 1,615,651;1,620,501; 1,712,801; 1,841,699; 2,634,603; 2,924,091; and 3,132,448.There are many problems presented with various ones of the prior art rodchairs which include employment of two or more pieces of materials toform the rod chair with some requiring welding or the like.Inconvenience in use, instability, and inaccuracy in positioning therods on the chair are other problems of some of the prior art.

SUMMARY This invention relates to a reinforcing rod chair for use insupporting reinforcing rods in a concrete structure or the like. Twoupright legs having upper and lower end portions with a generallyhorizontal rod receiving member connecting the upper end portions of thelegs are provided in the rod chair. In one aspect the invention meansare incorporated for connecting the generally horizontal base portion ofthe rod chair to the lower end portions of the legs, the means includingloop means connected to the base portion for tightly encircling each ofthe lower leg end portions.

The loo-p means specifically includes a plurality of loops frictionallyengaging and encircling respective upright legs. In another aspect ofthe invention, the upright legs, rod receiving member, base portion andmeans for connecting the base portion to the lower leg end portions areunitary and formed from one piece of wire.

An additional aspect of the invention is seen wherein each leg above thelower end thereof includes means engaged by the loop means for limitingthe relative upward movement of the loop means with respect to theencircled leg.

A general object of this invention is the provision of an improved rodchair for supporting reinforcing rods.

Particular objects are to provide improved rod chairs which are unitaryin construction and which do not fequire welding or the like to maintainsame in the erect operative condition.

Another particular object is the provision of an improved rod chair madefrom metal wire and having good strength and rigidity, and inherentstability in use.

Other specific objects of this invention are the provision of improvedrod chairs which are simple and inexpensive in the manufacture thereofand readily used to support reinforcing rods prior to the pouring andsetting of the concrete therearound.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The novel features which are believedto be character istic of this invention are set forth with particularityin the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to itsorganization and method of operation, together with further objects andadvantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the rod chair in. accord with theinvention, a plurality of rods being shown. seated thereon;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the rod chair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one end of the rod chair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIG.2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 66 of FIG.4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawing, the rod chair is generally depicted at 10 with rods 11,12 and 13 being supported by rod chair 10. Rod chair 10 is formed froman elongated resilient rod or wire, preformed into the configurationshown in FIG. 1, and includes a rod receiving generally horizontal andelongated portion or member 15 preformed to include a plurality of rodreceiving loops 16, 17 and 18 into which respective rods 11, 12 and 13are seated. A pair of upright legs 20 and 21 depend downwardly frommember 15 and are bent at their lower end portions 22 and 23 which arethen formed into respective horizontal base portions 25 and 26.

Means designated at 30 connect base portions 25 and 26 to respectivelower end portions 22 and 23 of legs 20 and 21. Means 30 is seen toinclude loop means 31 each consisting of a plurality of loops tightlyencircling and frictionally engaging each of the upright legs 20 and 21to limit the relative upward movement of the loop means with respect tothe legs.

Each base portion 25 and 26 includes a first element 35 extendingoutwardly from its connected leg generally in the same vertical planewith such connected leg, 2.

second element 36 which extends generally parallel to.

of element 37 is wound tightly around the upright leg 20 adjacent itslower end portion 22 and closely adjacently above element 35 with aplurality of loops 42 and 43 which frictionally engage upright 20 toinhibit relative movement therebetween. It is preferable, as indicatedat 50, to provide means on leg 20 which further limits the relativeupward movement of the loop means 30 with respect to the leg. Means 50is herein shown as being a flattened portion of the wire leg 20 on eachof the faces 20' and 20" with the flattened portions 50 extendinggenerally in the vertical plane formed by leg 20 and elements 35 and 37.Such an arrangement of the flattened portions 50 does not substantiallyWeaken the legs 20 and 21 or render same more susceptible to bending aswould otherwise occur if the flattened portions 50 were formed on thewire leg 20 in the vertical plane of member 15 and legs 20 and 21,particularly since member 15 between the upper ends of legs 20 and 21forms a rigid spacer between the legs which tends to inhibit bending ofthe legs 20 and 21 along the flattened portions 50 caused by externalforces being applied thereto. The flattening of the wire leg 20 causes apair of outwardly extending shoulders 51 and 52 to be formed whichlimits or stops the relative movement of the loops on the legs.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has beenshown and described by way of illustration, many modifications withinthe true spirit and scope of this invention and within the followingclaims will occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. A unitary one piece reinforcing rod chair for use in concretestructures or the like comprising a continuous wire member including agenerally horizontal rod portion for supporting a reinforcing rodthereon, each end of said rod portion being bent downwardly and formingan uninterrupted attachment, a leg portion being connected to andextending downwardly from respective said uninterrupted attachment, thelower end of each said leg portion being bent laterally and forming anuninterrupted connection, a pair of generally horizontal base portionsspaced below said rod portion, each said base portion being attached toand extending from respective said uninterrupted connection toward theother said leg portion, each said base portion having a free end wrappedaround and frictionally engaging said other leg portion adjacently aboveits said uninterrupted connection.

2. In the rod chair as defined in claim 1 wherein each said base portionincludes a first element extending outwardly from respective saiduninterrupted connection generally in the same vertical plane with saidleg portion, a second element extending generally parallel to and spacedfrom said rod portion and generally perpendicularly with respect to saidvertical plane, a third element extending toward said other leg portiongenerally parallel to said first element and generally in the samevertical plane with said other leg portion, and said free end being theterminus of said third element,

3. In the rod chair as defined in claim 1 wherein each said leg portionadjacently above said uninterrupted connection includes shoulder meansengaged by said free end wrapped around said other leg portion forlimiting the relative upward movement of said free end with respect tosaid other leg portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 992,430 5/1911 Lankford 52-6891,499,984 7/1924 Heidrich 52-687 1,629,753 5/1927 White 52-689 1,858,4655/1932 Schmitt 52687 2,924,091 2/1960 Harmer 948 FOREIGN PATENTS 538,0133/ 1922 France.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 948

